A POS system is conventionally known which includes a plurality of POS (Point of Sales) terminals and an external storage device connected through a transmission line. In such a POS system, while sales information registered by an operator by using a POS terminal is printed on a receipt, the information is transmitted to the external storage device wherein the information is stored in a file provided therein. Storing sales information and the like in a file is referred to as capturing and the file provided in an external storage device is called a capturing file. The state of a POS terminal where transmitting sales information is transmitted from the POS terminal to a capturing file for storing is called a capturing-on state.
At the time of capturing, a defective capturing file prevents a POS terminal from performing capturing. Such state of the POS terminal disabling the capturing is referred to as a capturing-off state. In a capturing-off state, an operator or a person in charge of maintenance called for by an operator removes the defect of the capturing file and manipulates a keyboard of each POS terminal to perform a key operation necessary for entering a capturing-on state.
As described above, the conventional POS system requires a key operation to be performed at each POS terminal to switch a capturing-off state of the terminal to a capturing-on state, which consumes much time and labor of an operator when numerous POS terminals are connected to one transmission line.
A main object of the present invention is therefore to switch each POS terminal from a capturing-off state to a capturing-on state with ease in a short time period.